It was the first ever matchup between Virginia and Bethune-Cookman. Both teams took to the court, not knowing what the other was capable of. Very quickly, the Wildcats (2-4, 0-0 MEAC) realized they were in for a rude awakening against the Cavaliers (5-1, 0-0 ACC). A 10-point lead turned into 15, then 20, and kept growing until it got as large as 38 points.
Virginia took home the 82-48 victory with ease against Bethune-Cookman, but the start was a little rough. The key to the win? Shutting down the opponent’s top shooters.
“Bethune-Cookman, their bigs rebound, they score,” Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said postgame. “Those are their leading scorers, so we had a lot of emphasis on our post players getting in there and getting rebounds.”.
Keying in on stopping the opponent’s core strength is a proven path to victory. In addition, strong passing and well-executed plays led to the win Sunday afternoon. However, poor shooting hindered the Cavaliers’ ability to pull ahead.Pair that with diminished rebounding, and the Wildcats had one too many chances to catch up.
Fortunately for Virginia, Bethune-Cookman’s shooting accuracy was somehow worse than the Cavaliers’. Virginia’s field goal shooting mark of 33.3 percent at the end of the first quarter looks amazing when compared to the Wildcats’ 11.1 percent.
All in all, the first quarter was not a complete mess offensively —- freshman guard Breona Hurd scored the first points of the game with a seamless layup.
Graduate student center Taylor Lauterbach joined Hurd in impressive plays, scoring the first three-point shot of the game. Lauterbach netted 10 rebounds in just the first half, and executed clean blocks that led to forced turnovers. Lauterbach hit her career-high in three-point shots tonight and earned a double-double.
All was going well enough, until silence fell over the court. Junior guard Yonta Vaughn was down. Just her second game after recovering from a concussion, Vaughn had to be helped off the court and into the medical room after a nasty fall mid-play early into the second quarter — leaving sophomore guard Kymora Johnson to fill in at the top of the key.
While some teams may have taken that as an opportunity to slow down and appear lost at sea, it actually invigorated Virginia. Johnson and sophomore guard Olivia McGhee led the team in shooting — with Johnson having 12 points and McGhee 14 points by the end of the first half.
The Cavaliers also managed to hold their opponents to only 14 points in the first two quarters of the game — showing a defense that was playing like a well-oiled machine.
“We were locked in,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “...We were talking, we were guarding the ball.”
After Johnson and McGhee led the top of offense impressively well, Vaughn was given enough time to recover and was back on the court for the third quarter. As if nothing had happened, Vaughn was back to commanding the offense — purposefully slowing down the team and staring them in the eye to force a set up for better, stronger plays.
Also much improved was the Cavaliers’ shooting accuracy — spiking from 33.3 percent in the first quarter to 60 percent in the second quarter. Virginia was also securing more rebounds and taking more shots.
Looking at individuals, the core players of the game were clear. A trifecta of Hurd, Johnson and 20 points solely from McGhee gave the Cavaliers about three quarters of all of their points. Lobs across the court to each other opened opportunities for three-point shots, fastbreaks and layups.
“I just want to come in and be a spark and do what I can, try to make an impact in the game in whatever way,” McGhee said. “So I was out there…making sure I’m executing the scout, getting myself open, [my teammates] open…just trying to be a good teammate.”
This type of play is exactly what put Hurd in the double digits for points scored — and is a perfect example of the transition plays that can make or break a game. By being able to move the ball down the court in a matter of seconds, the Cavaliers are best prepared for future games with a lot of back-and-forth, or require quick transitions from offense to defense and back to offense.
On the defensive side, senior forward Latasha Lattimore and Lauterbach shut out their opponents with more than 10 rebounds each. With five impressive athletes that have learned how to play well together — and being able to secure both ends of the court like this — exemplifies a team that can play both sides well and shows promise for the more competitive matches.
Next up for the team is the Discover Puerto Rico Bay Shootout, which starts Nov. 28. With three games in three days, it will be key for Virginia to use this as a chance to build its endurance and learn how to play even more effectively against teams outside of its conference.
Read More
Virginia adds six promising players in second week of the transfer period
By Peter Kriebel | YesterdayVirginia has reinforced several positions throughout its roster, and more additions may be on the way.
Reflecting on a year of incredible achievement by women’s sports at Virginia
By Eleanor Buchanan , Caroline Wulff and Cierra Lyles | YesterdayThree Cavalier Daily staff writers share their thoughts on 2024 highlights.
Late run pushes men’s basketball past American
By Thomas Baxter | 3 days agoVirginia squeezed out a win to end non-conference play.
